A New Path, A New Friend
by Shinku-Twilight
Summary: During Clare's search for Raki, she makes an interesting new friend.


This takes place during the three months after Clare defeats Ophelia.

* * *

The dusty path stretched before and behind her. She shifted the large sword on her back, and looked around. She unconsciously looked back for Raki, and then remembered that it was he she was looking for. Clare sighed and continued walking. A small cloud of dust caught her eye.

"HELP!"

Clare turned and stared. A girl came running towards her, with a pack of yoma on her heels. Barely slowing down, the girl ducked behind Clare. "Lucky me, one of the yoma killers! Please, get rid of those brutes." The girl pointed at the yoma.

_"It looks like we get two girls for dinner, boys."_ The yoma in front laughed and lunged at Clare. She quickly dispatched the first yoma and turned to the rest, her blade raised slightly. Two more jumped at her and she cut both in half. Clare glanced at the girl she was protecting.

"What did you do to piss them off?" Clare ducked a punch and cut off the yoma's arm first, then his head. It dropped to the ground where the girl promptly kicked it at the other yoma.

"Ha-ha, take that!" The girl pulled her own sword out from behind her back and waved it excitedly. "All I did was start cooking my dinner, and those jerks showed up and tried to eat me." She swung her sword at the nearest yoma, but missed hitting any vital organs and left herself open to attack. Clare leaped forward and killed the yoma, just as another yoma attacked her back. She rolled and kicked it in its stomach.

"_Too bad, girl, but you lose."_ Three yoma grabbed Clare, and a fourth aimed its claws at her. Clare twisted her sword, but knew she couldn't kill all of them before it struck her.

"HI-YAH!" The girl swiftly cut the yoma's arms off, and bent her sword's hilt. With a soft click, the sword sprang apart into two separate blades, which she used to cut two of the yoma holding Clare in half. Clare finished the remaining yoma off and then turned to take a good look at the girl. The girl was tall and lean, and carried the split blades with practiced ease.

"If you could kill the yoma, why did you want my help?" The girl carefully put her sword back together and slid it into its sheath before looking at Clare.

"Well, I can't say I've had much experience dealing with yoma, and I knew that one of the organization's warriors would, so I tried to find someone and I found you." The girl grinned. "And I don't really like to fight." She held her sleeve up. "Look, I've got yoma blood all over my clothes." Glancing at Clare, she made a face. "At least I'm not as dirty as you. When was the last time you bathed anyway?"

Clare glanced at herself. "A week or so. It's not that bad." The girl grabbed Clare's arm and started walking down the path. "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking you to my campsite. There's a river next to it and, if the yoma didn't mess it up, a stew near the fire." The girl's cloak moved and a small fox stuck its head out. "Oh, hi Kit. I forgot you 

were in there." Clare stared at the fox. "Introduction time. My name is Seraphim, and this little guy here is Kit. You can just call me Ser. And your name is?"

"Clare."

…

The two girls walked into a small clearing. A small tent sat near a dying fire, and the river was past a line of trees. "Here we are, my little home until I move on. My tent, my fire and…" Ser ran over to a metal pot. "Yay, the food's safe!" She turned and pointed at the river. "Now, do us all a favor and get clean. I'll find something clean for you to wear." Ser reached into her tent and pulled a bulging bag out. She started to rummage through it as Clare went to wash the grime and blood off of her.

Once she had finished bathing, Clare climbed onto the bank to see a pile of fresh clothes waiting for her. She quickly dressed and walked back to the fire. Ser sat next to the fire, with Kit on her shoulder and a bowl of stew in each hand. She gave one of the bowls to Clare and gulped the other bowlful down. "Ack, it's too hot!" She refilled her bowl and ate it at a more normal pace. "Well, eat up. I know that you don't need much food, but more food is better than less, that's what I always say." Clare slowly ate. She finished the stew and took the time to look at the clothes she was wearing. They were a black shirt and light-colored pants, with a long black cloak. Clare glanced at Ser's outfit, which consisted of black shorts, tall boots, a red tank top, some light-weight armor and a dark crimson cloak.

"I'll return your clothes after I clean my own clothes." Clare began to stand, but Ser pulled her back to sitting.

"No need. You can have those clothes. Anyways, I commandeered them from a lazy merchant."

"So you stole them."

"I prefer to think of it as librating worldly possessions from someone."

"Also known as stealing."

Ser grinned sheepishly. "If you have to use that term then, yes, I stole them. But I left money in their place. So it's like buying them without the merchant knowing." She pointed at Clare's dirty uniform. "Anyway, you shouldn't wear that if you're not with the organization. Someone would notice and talk about it." Clare started.

"How would you know if I am still with the organization or not?"

"Simple. Your people only come this way if they have a mission, and if they did, they wouldn't stop to eat and talk with me." Ser fed Kit a piece of meat before continuing. "Since you _did_ stop, and you haven't tried to leave yet, it's obvious that you aren't. And you wouldn't have been wearing such a ripped shirt. One of those dudes in black would have given you a new shirt."

Clare glanced down at the ground. "You're observant for someone whose cloak just caught fire." Ser jumped up and patted at the small flames that attacked her cloak.

"Damn it." Ser ran and threw her cloak in the river. Once the fire was out, she walked back and laid it carefully out of the fire's reach. "Next time let's tell me I'm on fire a little earlier, okay?" She paused. "Actually, I don't want a 'next time'."

"Then don't sit so close to the fire."

"I am perfectly capable of telling if I'm too close to the fire." Ser scooted a few inches away from the fire. "So, why did you ditch the organization? I've just got to know." Clare quickly explained all that had happened since she met Raki. Ser waited until Clare had finished speaking to talk. "So you're looked for a young male with a scar over one eye, who responds to Raki?"

"You don't have to make him sound like a lost dog. He's very important to me." Ser rolled her eyes.

"Okay, I get it. Don't go sappy on me." She stood up and stretched. "I'm going to hit the hay. See you in the morning." She called, crawling into her tent.

Clare leaned against a nearby tree. "Goodnight."

…

Clare carefully banked the fire and gave the camp a final look. The sun was just barely showing over the mountain, and many of the birds had not yet awoken. She turned and walked towards the path. "It's better this way." She whispered to herself.

"What's better this way?" Ser sat on the side of the path, smiling at Clare. Clare gaped at her and looked back at the campsite.

"I thought you were still asleep."

Ser stood up and rubbed her back. "I didn't know when you'd try to sneak away, so I've been sitting here for a while." She winced. "But, man, does sitting on rocks hurt."

"Are you going to try to come with me? I don't need help." Clare waited for a response. After a few seconds, Ser grinned.

"I know. I just wanted to say goodbye, and wish you good luck. I'll keep my eyes open for your Raki." Ser put her hands on Clare's shoulders, and Clare realized with a jolt that Ser was taller than herself. "Next time we meet, you'd better have good stories to tell me." She let go of Clare and stepped out of the way.

"Goodbye." Clare started walking down the path.

"Oh, and one more thing." Clare turned and quickly caught the small thing Ser had thrown. It was a small pendant, with red stones embedded in it. "It's a good luck charm. Keep it with you." She waved and headed back to her camp.

Clare continued walking, a new friend behind her, and a faint smile on her lips.

* * *

Ser is my own character, obviously. Whether or not people like her, I think she'll show up in more of my stories.


End file.
